Acousto-optical signal processing system

ABSTRACT

An acousto-optical signal processing system usable for signal correlation or spectrum analysis. Collimated light passes through an acousto-optical cell to provide a spatial carrier that is modulated in accordance with signal information. A time integrating imaging detector, such as a Vidicon, receives this carrier, and a filter separates the modulating signal information from other light signals received by the imaging detector. Resolution requirements of the imaging detector are reduced by an optical grating. The acousto-optical cell may have reflectors causing the incoming light to make several passes across the cell before exiting.

1 3,634,749 Y L FY17 lnventor Robert M. Montgomery [56] References Cited lndialamic, UNITED STATES PATENTS afg- 5:3 1970 3,564,405 2/1971 Kogelnik 324/77 [45] Patented Jan. 11:1972 Primary Examiner-Edward E. Kubasiewicz [73] Assignee Radiation, Inc. Attorney- Donald R. Greene Melbourne, Fla.

ABSTRACT: An acousto-optical signal processing system usa- [54] ACOUST().OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING ble for signal correlation or spectrum analysis. Collimated SYSTEM light passes through an acousto-optical cell to provide a spatial l6 Claims,5 Drawing Figs. /carrier that is modulated in accordance with signal information. A time integrating imaging detector, such as a Vidicon, [52] U.S.Cl receives this Carrier and a filter separates the modulating I Cl G6lr23/l6 signal information from other light signals received by the imaging detector. Resolution requirements of the imaging de- [501 Flew 'g 350/160 179. 343 tector are reduced by an optical grating. The acousto-optical 250/ 3210/15 cell may have reflectors causing the incoming light to make several passes across the cell before exiting.

Call/M4760 4 I614? Jud/e65 HI/ sewn-9 0R I i I.

ACOUSTO-OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM This invention relates to an acousto-optic signal-processing system which may be used for signal correlation or for spectrum analysis.

Various acousto-optic signal-processing systems have been proposed heretofore for correlating an unknown incoming signal and a reference standard, which may be either an active signal or a passive optical pattern. Typically, such prior systems have a limited correlation time which restricts their practical utility. One important aspect of the present invention is directed to a system which is much less limited as to its correlation time.

Another important aspect of this invention is concerned with spectrum analysis over a very small bandwidth in the kilocycle frequency range. Typically, the acousto-optic systems previously proposed for spectrum analysis were not capable of adequate frequency resolution within a narrow bandwidth, and this inherent limitation restricted the uses to which such prior acousto-optic spectrum analyzers could be put.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved acousto-optic signal-processing system which may be used advantageously for signal correlation or, with slight modification, for spectrum analysis.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved acousto-optic signal-processing system which provides at an imaging detector a spatial carrier that is modulated by the cross product of a time-delayed input signal and a reference signal and that enables this cross product to be separated from other light present at the detector.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved acousto-optic signal-processing system which requires only minimal spatial coherence in the light source.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved acousto-optic signal-processing system whose optical components are not required to be diffraction limited and which, therefore, may be of relatively low cost and compact size.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved optical correlator which enables real time signal correlation that is not limited to the acoustic signal propagation time in its light modulator cell.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved signal correlator having a detector arrangement at the receiver which extends over the image there of the light transmitted through an acousto-optic modulator and provides a time integration of the cross product of two modulating input signals to the modulator.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved acousto-optic spectrum analyzer capable of frequency resolution within a very narrow bandwidth, particularly in the kilocycle frequency range.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a spectrum analyzer in which the bandwidth being analyzed may be changed readily.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of certain presently preferred embodiments, which are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment ofa signal correlator in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a signal correlator in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a spectrum analyzer in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates the effect of an optical grating in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic end view ofa modified light modulator cell in the present system.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the signal correlator illustrated schematically there includes an acousto-optic light modulator cell 10, an optical system 11 at the output side of this modulator, and an imaging detector 12.

The light modulator cell 10 is a closed container containing a suitable light-transmitting medium, such as water, through which compressional waves may be propagated. The container has transparent windows 13 and 14 on its opposite sides. A collimated light source, designated generally at 9, directs light through the light modulator cell in a horizontal direction in FIG. 1.

First and second electromechanical transducers l5 and 16, preferably piezoelectric transducers, are mounted at the opposite ends of the light modulator cell. Preferably, as shown, these transducers are offset from each other across the cell in the direction in which light is transmitted through the cell (i.e., perpendicular to the windows 13 and 14). When energized, the transducer 15 or 16 produces ultrasonic frequency compressional waves that travel along the cell perpendicular to the direction of light transmission through the cell. The respective compressional waves produced by the transducers are oppositely directed, due to the mounting of the respective transducers at the opposite ends of the cell.

The first transducer 15 is energized by a fixed frequency oscillator 17 whose output is amplitude modulated in a modulator 18 by a signal S,, which may be an unknown input signal.

The second transducer 16 is energized by the same oscillator through a modulator 19 in which the oscillator output is amplitude modulated by a second signal S which may be a known reference signal.

When the light modulator cell is operating in the Debye- Sears region, the phase of the light wave front emerging from the cell (at window 14) may be written:

.V a, .7. a ,i V where W is 21r 1-rtimes the oscillator frequency, x is the distance along the cell between each transdmor l6 and the opposite end wall, and v is the velocity of each compressional wave in the light modulator cell.

The optical field strength at the output plane (at window 14) of the cell may be written:

This expression may be expanded and for small values of d:

it becomes:

p. cos W,,t cos sin W r. (3) The term, cos W cos 4:, represents a uniform plane wave containing the light transmitted through the modulator cell which is not deflected by the compressional waves. The other term, 11 sin W t, designates the light transmitted through the cell which is deflected by the compressional waves.

The optical system 11 at the output side of the light modulator cell 10 includes a Fourier transform lens 20 which focuses this uniform plane wave (cos W t cos (1:) onto an opaque stop 21 and therefore cause it to disappear.

The remaining component of the light output from the cell (expressed by the term (1: sin W t in equation 3) passes through an imaging lens 22, which reimages it on an image plane 23. A time-integrating imaging detector 12, preferably the screen of a television pickup tube, such as a Vidicon tube, is located at the image plane 23.

The light intensity at the output plane (at exit window 14) of the cell 10 is:

v 4 I t As "long as; W,T l, integrating I from O to T yields Another advantage ofthe system is that the "key" 5 my 5 x or referencesignals may be time-offset from the unknown f Is t= l( +7f 2 647;) incoming signal S, by asmuch' as the compressional wave T I X propagation time of the modulator cell and still'provide cross- 4,105 s f),g (t+ l 00 5 correlation for the particular time shift 'along'the cell in which v 0 v v I the time-offset between signals S, and S is zero. This is (5) because the present system provides atdiffer ent point: across the image plane 23 a series of correlations for different time shifts of the two signals, and theoffset between the two signals will be zero'at one particular point in the image plane.

The third and final tenn in this expression is the desired cross- I 1 correlation function of signals S and S as the modulation on a 10 $3 carriefi W; I Another advantage of the present system is'th'at the optical X system components do not have to be diffraction limited. The

cos 2W -i inlet and exit windows 13 and 14 of themodulator cell [Odo I l 5 not have to be optically flaUAlso, the light source ha only having afrcquency on We minimal spatial coherence requirementsy 'it-ymay be a gas I The Vidiconl2 performs the integration specified by equa-. 8 l P insleadjof 3 as r, f r example. ponieq l yt tion (5). Theoutput from the Vidicon 12 is applied to a band- "1 Pre m m b construfited at rdlaiivctly pass filter-24, which rejects the first two terms and passes only n l"?Y F compact F F x a i the final term -of equation (5). Consequently, the output of the presenhsystenf the P 0 acoustic filter 24 contains the desired cross-correlation function of the compresslonal wave @315 m the w the m indicated schematically by the demodulator 25in FIG. 1. I 2

points along the cell; despite theirattenuation by'the liquid in the cell, because they originate at opposite ends of the cell.

Consequently, the ease and accuracy'of correlation are improved andla longer modulator cellmay be used. I I

FlG. 2 shows a cross corielatbif'in accordance with the present invention which is essentially 'sir'nilar'j to that of F lGf'l; but is improved by the addition of an' optical grating to reduce I I I the resolution requirements of the) time-integrating imaging 3. time-integrating this product. I g I v t t t v I FwmhflsrtoilljtanalysisW"beappaiemhithspism 3 fiifgli 52x53:2:333:33ii sT -muhi ttiiliiz arrangement PP at Image Plane 23 tho's e of FlG. rand the detailed description of these elements two signals,'S and 8,, which have been delayed in the modulav will not be repeated. tor cell 10, and that this product is the modulation on the spa- The collimated 1i ght Source in FIG 2 comprises a p so tial carrier,

- '35 and a collimating and Fourier transform lens 31 located t X between this lamp and the light modulator cell 10a. A plane cos ZWO r mirror 32 is positioned a-short distance from, and at a slight I I v I angle to, the exit window 14d on the opposite side'ol' the which makes it separable by the filter 24from the other light ai 9 104 m the 8 Consequently,

unknown input signal 'S, and the known reference signal S,. This cross correlation function can be recovered from the output of filter 24 by conventional demodulation techniques, as

I Cross correlation of two signals requires:

l. delaying one signal relative to the other; 2. then multiplying the two signals together; and

components also present at the image plane. j 40 light transmitted through cell 10a is reflected baclt through Th presencg of a} i '.i detector, such as a the cell and undergoes a Fourler transform by the lens 31 be- Vidicon tube; at the image plane enables'an actual time .inl Passing to a Parabolic 'F E l' Whkh i8 tegration of the product of the delayed signals S and s, Each Ff a Stop corresponding 10 thump 21 in H 1- T e point on the face of this tube which receives light transmitted reflected from 33 i s a s s 34 and through the'modulator cell 10 provides a cross-correlation'of 5 a field lens a Plane ""8 36, and from here the two signals S, andS with-a particular time shift which is through a 37 and'the final 8 different from the time shift for the other light-receiving face lube P" ls commend a I band-pass filter 24a. t

points in the image plane. Thus,'the multiplicity'ofsuch points on the face of the Vidicon'tube perform a multiplicity 'of crosscorrelations of the two signals with different time shifts, and I the electrical output signal from this tube is the totality of such 7 cross correlations.

An important advantage of the present invention is that this time integration is not limited to the time period during which 5 5 the compressional waves travel along the length of the modulator cell 10 from each transducer to the opposite end of the cell. Instead the integration time in the present invention de- W.,X pends upon the operating characteristics of the Vidicon tube V (6) 12, which can be adjusted to provide a relatively long integra- I tion time. This is because each light-receiving point on the where Inc represents the first terms 'Eq imaging detector in the image plane 23 integrates over a period of time the light at a corresponding point along the exit window 14 of the modulator cell 10. This is in contrast to prior spatial integration arrangements in which the detector inte rates the li ht at all oints alon the modulator cell at an i T X I 8 B P 8 y fo (:f 7

in accordance with this embodiment of the invention the 0 optical grating 34, which is located in the light path between the light modulator cell 100 and the time-integrating imaging detector 12a, reduces the spatial carrier frequency appearing at the image or output plane 230 while still enabling the crosscorrelation product term to be separated from the outer light appearing at this plane.

Equation (5) may be rewritten as follows:

I 2 I (5) and R;,( is the desired correlation function,

5 which is expressed as given time, so that the maximum integration time of the detecu tor is, equal to the time it takes an acoustic compressional wave to travel from the transducer to the opposite end of the v cell. v

I The present system, because of its longer possible integragr ll (6) p the .llghlllmenslly the image plane tiontime, is adapted for cross-correlating long duration signal i sequences, such as noise, which were too longto be cross-cor- I I related in their entirety by the prior systems. VI h 'ilihe desiredcorrelationEmotion H in Equation (5)- appears on the spatial carrier,

cos 2( at a spatial frequency of Assuming that the Vidicon tube 12a or other imaging detector acts as a low-pass filter which eliminates all frequencies at WX T.

and above, the effective intensity becomesi I,,=I +R, cos cos (X cos +y sin 5) 2W I,,=I +R, cos [X 1cos +y sin 4)] Expression (9) can be written as 3'2 I.-IDc+R1. os 2V U w/( mm (10) where y is the y value measured in a coordinate system rotated by an angle 42/2 with respect to the unprimed coordinates. Expression (10) indicates that R, can be -recovered by rasterscanning the Vidicon tube 120 in a series of lines running parallel to the y axis, as shown in FIG. 4.

The grating lines coact with the spatial carrier coming into the grating 34 to produce an interference effect, so that going out of the grating 34 the spatial carrier is rotated almost 90, as indicated by the modified spatial carrier lines in FIG. 4. This modified spatial carrier is at a much lower frequency than the unmodified spatial carrier going into the grating 34, and it is at a steep angle (almost 90) to the correlation function which modulates it. Consequently, the resolution requirements of the Vidicon tube 12a are greatly reduced.

As an example, assume that the Vidicon tube 1211 has a resolution of 300 lines, and that 500 cycles of the spatial carrier appear across the Vidicon face. Without the optical grating 34 the carrier would not appear in the Vidicon output. If a SOO-line grating is placed with its lines at an angle of 0.1 radian with respect to the spatial carrier, this enables the previously unresolvable carrier to display 500 d; or 50 cycles across the Vidicon face. By scanning at an angle of 0.05 radian to the vertical over one-tenth of the Vidicon face, five cycles of the spatial carrier could be included in the scan pattern.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a mu]- tichannel spectrum analyzer which is another practical application of the present system that requires only slight changes from the correlator already described. Such a spectrum analyzer is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3, and corresponding parts of the FIG. 3 system are given the same reference numerals as those in the FIG. 1 system, but with a b" suffix added.

In FIG. 3, the piezoelectric transducers 15b and 16b in the light modulator cell 10b are energized by a swept frequency oscillator 40, whose frequency varies with time (preferably, linearly), over a given frequency bandwidth repetitively or cyclically. The oscillator output is amplitude modulated in the modulator 18b by the input signal S, before being applied to the first transducer 15b in the light modulator cell 10b.

The oscillator output also is applied to the second transducer 16b. In FIG. 3, the oscillator output is shown as applied to a modulator 19b (shown in phantom) to which is applied a signal S, which amplitude modulates the oscillator output. In

' actual practice, as explained hereinafter, the modulator 19b and the second input signal S, may be omitted, so that the unmodulated output of oscillator 40 is applied directly to the second transducer.

However, considering the general case now under discussion, the signals applied to the two transducers 15b and 16b, respectively, are:

S, (t) cos (w /&a I) t,

and

7 S (1) cos (w -ia t)t.

7 In the image plane 23b the electric field strength p. is:

The light intensity on the Vidicon is (a:, t)| and after integrating for a time T the resulting response 1s:

In developing this, the cosine cross product was written as sum and difference terms and the sum terms were dropped since they integrate to 0.

If the cosine term is now rewritten as a product, 1' becomes Sin J 0 S (t$/v)S (f-Ix/v) Sin (2a; t)dt If both S, and S, are slowly varying, so that 1( 1), and

2( 2( )i then 7(12?) =TDC v T +cos %1 S,(t)S,(t) cos (2ag)tdt 2Wa: T a: is? v Ignace???We at phase is the phase of the carrier. The frequency in the transform varies with x, so that the transform of S, S is displayed in the x direction.

Some interesting aspects of this transform relationship are: l. The frequency components of the product are displayed in the horizontal direction across the face of the Vidicon.

2. The frequency scale in the transform is electronically programmable by changing a, the slope of the frequency versus time sweep of the oscillator 40.

3. In principle, arbitrarily narrow analyzer bandwidth is attainable since the integration time Tmay be made very large.

4. The number of frequency resolution cells is equal to twice the time bandwidth product of the acoustic device and is independent of the bandwidth chosen for each cell.

In the foregoing general example, if the second signal S is assumed to be a constant, then the frequency components of S alone will be displayed in the horizontal direction across the Vidicon. This is the condition when the modulator 19b is omitted in FIG. 3.

To illustrate the principles just discussed, consider an acoustic cell having 80 psec of delay and 3 ml-lz. of bandwidth centered at 7.5 ml-lz. Suppose it is desired to construct a multiple channel filter having a 10 c.p.s. frequency resolution.

Since a 10 c.p.s. resolution is desired, Twill be chosen as 0.1 sec. S will be chosen to be constant in this case and a spectrum analysis of S, will result. With a 3 ml-lz. bandwidth and 0.1 sec. integration time, the maximum frequency slope which can be used is:

3 mhz. .1 sec.

With this value the transformation becomes f slu cos 120x10 dt 30 mhz./see.

The range on is 80 sec., so the frequency range which Thus, there are on the order of l0 l0 c.p.s. channels available in this arrangement.

By a simple change of slope on the swept oscillator 40, this system could be converted to 10 l c.p.s. channels or any other value consistent with the condition S (tx/v)=S,(t).

FIG. illustrates a modified light modulator cell which may be used in the signal correlator of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 or in the spectrum analyzer of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 5 the ultrasonic compressional waves are directed perpendicular to the plane of the paper. In accordance with this modification a mirror 50 extends across part of the window 14 at the output side of the cell, and a mirror 51 extends across part of the window 13 at the input side of the cell. The incoming light is at an acute angle with respect to perpendicularity to the windows 13 and 14 of the cell. The incoming light first passes through a transparent portion of window 13 and then it passes through the elastic medium within the cell over to the mirror 50, from which it is reflected back to mirror 51, and then back and forth between mirrors 51 and 50 until it passes out through a transparent portion of the exit window 14 of the cell. Within the cell the angle of incidence of the light impinging on each mirror 50 or 51 is equal to the angle of reflection. The number of passes the light makes within the cell back and forth between the mirrors depends upon the angle of incidence of the incoming light and the respective lengths and positions of the mirrors.

The purpose of this arrangement is to lengthen the light path within the cell between its entry and its exit. In the cell the optical phase modulation produced by the acoustic pressure is given by where 175, is the maximum phase deviation produced on the light wave, P is the acoustic power, L is the length of the optical path in acoustic medium within the cell, h is the height of the acoustic beam, and c is a constant relating to the properties ofthe acoustic medium.

Where the light beam makes a single pass through the cell,

the ratio L/h usually cannot be made very large because ofdiffraction effects in the acoustic beam. Consequently, the acoustic power requirements usually are relatively high.

However, in accordance with the present modification, by lengthening the optical path L in the manner indicated the acoustic power requirements are reduced correspondingly.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the present invention is susceptible of various embodiments which enable its use as a single correlator or as a spectrum analyzer, as desired, with improved results over prior arrangements for these purposes. However, while certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modifications, omissions and refinements which depart from the disclosed embodiments may be adopted without departing from the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. An acousto-optical signal processing system comprising:

a light source;

a light modulator positioned to receive light from said source and having a light-transmitting compressional wave medium therein, and a pair of electroacoustic transducers for generating oppositely directed compressional waves in said medium transverse to the direction of light transmission therethrough;

oscillator means for energizing said transducers in phase and at the same frequency, signal input means for amplitude modulating the oscillations applied to at least one of said transducers;

an optical system for imaging onto an image plane the light transmitted through the modulator which is deflected by saidcompressional waves;

and light-responsive, time-integrating detector means at the image plane extending over at least a substantial portion of the image thereat of the light transmitted through the modulator and deflected by said compressional waves.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said detector means is an imaging detector which provides a point-for-point correspondence of the light image thereat with the light output intensity along said modulator transverse to the direction of the light transmission therethrough.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said oscillator means operates at a constant frequency, and said input signal means comprises a first signal source which amplitude modulates the oscillations applied to one of said transducers, and a reference signal source which amplitude modulates the oscillations applied to the other of said transducers.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of said oscillator means varies with time cyclically, and said input signal means comprises a signal source which amplitude modulates the oscillations applied to one of said transducers, and the oscillations applied to the other of said transducers are unmodulated.

5. A signal-processing system according to claim 2, wherein said detector means has a light integration time substantially longer than the time for propagation ofa compressional wave through the modulator.

6. A signal-processing system according to claim 5, wherein said detector means is a television picture pickup tube.

7. A signal-processing system according to claim 2, wherein said optical system includes an optical grating having grating lines disposed at an acute angle to the spatial carrier light output from the modulator.

8. A signal-processing system according to claim 1, and further comprising light reflecting means at the modulator for causing the light to pass more than once through said medium transverse to said compressional waves before reaching said optical system.

9. An acousto-optical signal-processing system comprising:

a light modulator cell having an entry window and an exit window and filled with a light-transmitting elastic medium for transmitting light between said windows, a first electromechanical transducer at one end of the cell for generating a first compressional wave in said medium transverse to the light tr ar mitted theretl'irough, and a second electromechanical transducer at the opposite end of said cell for generating a second compressional wave in said medium in a direction substantially opposite to that of the first compressional wave;

oscillator means for energizing said transducers in phase and at the same instantaneous frequency, signal input means for amplitude modulating the oscillations applied to at least one of said transducers;

a light source for passing light through said cell from said entry window to said exit window to be phase modulated by said compressional waves so that the light output from the cell contains a uniform plane wave component and additional components which are deflected by the compressional waves;

an optical system at the output side of the cell including a stop, lens means for focusing said uniform plane wave component on said stop and for imaging said additional deflected components on an image plane to provide a point-for-point correspondence of the light intensity of said additional components in said image plane with their intensity along the cell at said exit window;

time-integrating light-responsive detector means at said image plane having an integration time substantially longer than the time for propagation of a compressional wave through the medium in the light modulator cell from one end of the cell to the other;

and electrical filter means connected to the output of said detector means for rejecting components of the light at said image plane other than the spatial carrier modulated by a cross-correlation function of the signals applied to said transducers in the cell.

10. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said oscillator means provides fixed-frequency oscillations for both transducers in the cell, and the oscillations applied to both transducers are amplitude modulated respectively by different input signals which are to be cross-correlated.

11. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said oscillator means provides oscillations whose frequency varies with time over a selected spectrum, the oscillations applied to the second transducer have a substantially constant amplitude, and the oscillations applied to the first transducer are amplitude modulated by a signal which is to be analyzed in said spectrum.

12. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said optical system includes an optical grating having a series of grating lines extending at an acute angle to the spatial carrier to produce an interference effect for providing a lower frequency modified spatial carrier at a substantial angle with respect to the cross-correlation function modulating signal.

13. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said detector means is a television picture pickup tube.

14. A signal-processing system according to claim 13, wherein said optical system includes an optical grating having a series of grating lines extending at an acute angle to the spatial carrier to produce an interference effect for providing a lower frequency modified spatial carrier at a substantial angle with respect to the cross-correlation function modulating signal.

15. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, and further comprising light reflector means at the cell for causing the light to pass across the cell more than once through said medium between said entry and exit windows.

16. A signal-processing system according to claim 15, wherein said light reflector means comprises reflectors at the opposite sides of the cell in the path of the light passing through said medium from said entry window to said exit window. 

1. An acousto-optical signal processing system comprising: a light source; a light modulator positioned to receive light from said source and having a light-transmitting compressional wave medium therein, and a pair of electroacoustic transducers for generating oppositely directed compressional waves in said medium transverse to the direction of light transmission therethrough; oscillator means for energizing said transducers in phase and at the same frequency, signal input means for amplitude modulating the oscillations applied to at least one of said transducers; an optical system for imaging onto an image plane the light transmitted through the modulator which is deflected by said compressional waves; and light-responsive, time-integrating detector means at the image plane extending over at least a substantial portion of the image thereat of the light transmitted through the modulator and deflected by said compressional waves.
 2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said detector means is an imaging detector which provides a point-for-point correspondence of the light image thereat with the light output intensity along said modulator transverse to the direction of the light transmission therethrough.
 3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said oscillator means operates at a constant frequency, and said input signal means comprises a first signal source which amplitude modulates the oscillations applied to one of said transducers, and a reference signal source which amplitude modulates the oscillations applied to the other of said transducers.
 4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of said oscillator means varies with time cyclically, and said input signal means comprises a signal source which amplitude modulates the oscillations applied to one of said transducers, and the oscillations applied to the other of said transducers are unmodulated.
 5. A signal-processing system according to claim 2, wherein said detector means has a light integration time substantially longer than the time for propagation of a compressional wave through the modulator.
 6. A signal-processing system according to claim 5, wherein said detector means is a television picture pickup tube.
 7. A signal-processing system according to claim 2, wherein said optical system includes an optical grating having grating lines disposed at an acute angle to the spatial carrier light output from the modulator.
 8. A signal-processing system according to claim 1, and further comprising light reflecting means at the modulator for causing the light to pass more than once through said medium transverse to said compressional waves before reaching said optical system.
 9. An acousto-optical signal-processing system comprising: a light modulator cell having an entry window and an exit window and filled with a light-transmitting elastic medium for transmitting light between said windows, a first electromechanical transducer at one end of the cell for generating a first compressional wave in said medium transverse to the light transmitted therethrough, and a second electromechanical transducer at the opposite end of said cell for generating a second compressional wave in said medium in a direction substantially opposite to that of the first compressional wave; oscillator means for energiZing said transducers in phase and at the same instantaneous frequency, signal input means for amplitude modulating the oscillations applied to at least one of said transducers; a light source for passing light through said cell from said entry window to said exit window to be phase modulated by said compressional waves so that the light output from the cell contains a uniform plane wave component and additional components which are deflected by the compressional waves; an optical system at the output side of the cell including a stop, lens means for focusing said uniform plane wave component on said stop and for imaging said additional deflected components on an image plane to provide a point-for-point correspondence of the light intensity of said additional components in said image plane with their intensity along the cell at said exit window; time-integrating light-responsive detector means at said image plane having an integration time substantially longer than the time for propagation of a compressional wave through the medium in the light modulator cell from one end of the cell to the other; and electrical filter means connected to the output of said detector means for rejecting components of the light at said image plane other than the spatial carrier modulated by a cross-correlation function of the signals applied to said transducers in the cell.
 10. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said oscillator means provides fixed-frequency oscillations for both transducers in the cell, and the oscillations applied to both transducers are amplitude modulated respectively by different input signals which are to be cross-correlated.
 11. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said oscillator means provides oscillations whose frequency varies with time over a selected spectrum, the oscillations applied to the second transducer have a substantially constant amplitude, and the oscillations applied to the first transducer are amplitude modulated by a signal which is to be analyzed in said spectrum.
 12. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said optical system includes an optical grating having a series of grating lines extending at an acute angle to the spatial carrier to produce an interference effect for providing a lower frequency modified spatial carrier at a substantial angle with respect to the cross-correlation function modulating signal.
 13. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, wherein said detector means is a television picture pickup tube.
 14. A signal-processing system according to claim 13, wherein said optical system includes an optical grating having a series of grating lines extending at an acute angle to the spatial carrier to produce an interference effect for providing a lower frequency modified spatial carrier at a substantial angle with respect to the cross-correlation function modulating signal.
 15. A signal-processing system according to claim 9, and further comprising light reflector means at the cell for causing the light to pass across the cell more than once through said medium between said entry and exit windows.
 16. A signal-processing system according to claim 15, wherein said light reflector means comprises reflectors at the opposite sides of the cell in the path of the light passing through said medium from said entry window to said exit window. 